Geriatrics Commons^™

Carah's Bookshelf

CenterPieces

Occupational Therapy and Dementia Care: The Home Environmental Skills-Building Program for Individuals and Families

by Laura N. Gitlin, PhD and Mary Corcoran, PhD, OTR/L with contributors, published by AOTA Press, the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

ISBN: 1569002037

Based on over 15 years of research, the book presents the Home Environmental Skill-building Program (ESP), an evidence-based intervention to support families and persons with dementia and enhance quality of life. The book provides the theoretical and empirical evidence for the program and describes its protocols in depth.

Physical Function in Older Adults: A Comprehensive Guide to Its Meaning and Measurement

by …

Download The Pdf Of The Full Issue

CenterPieces

For easy printing, the full newsletter is available as a single PDF.

We Are Seeking Participants For The Following Studies

CenterPieces

Title: Experience of Suffering in Old Age

Funding Source: National Institute on Aging

Principal Investigator: Helen K. Black, PhD

Target population: Philadelphia area residents over the age of 80 years old.

This 4-year study examines the experience of suffering and its relation to health, gender, and ethnicity among community dwelling elders aged 80+ using the open-ended interview schedule as its primary tool. This project explores through qualitative research the under-studied construct of suffering in later life and how suffering affects mental, physical and spiritual health.

Participants are interviewed in their homes on three occasions and are paid for their interviews. …

New Award: Carah And Germantown's Center In The Park Awarded $2.2 Million To Study Mental Health Of Older African-American Adults

CenterPieces

Why do older African-Americans tend to report less depression than Whites although they have poorer health and higher rates of chronic illness?

Research from the past 15 years consistently shows health disparities between Whites and minorities in the United States. African-Americans, in particular, are at higher risk than Caucasians for serious health conditions such as stroke, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and mild cognitive impairment. These chronic conditions typically contribute to depression in elders as a whole. However, the rates of depression for African-Americans are unclear with many studies reporting lower depression than in Whites and others reporting the reverse.

This …

Project Able Featured By Reuters Health Service

CenterPieces

CARAH's randomized trial, Project ABLE (Advancing Better Living for Elders), funded by the National Institute on Aging, and published in the May, 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, was recently featured by Reuters Health service, the world's leading provider of medical and healthcare news.

This study tested a six-month intervention in which people received four 90-minute visits with an occupational therapist, as well as one 20-minute telephone contact, and one 90-minute physical therapy visit and home modifications provided by the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging. Of 319 men and women 70 years of age and older, half …

Geriatric Education Update

CenterPieces

Despite extensive government cutbacks in funding for aging research and elimination of federal support for geriatric and gerontological training, Jefferson has launched exciting new programs in this area. The year-old Division of Geriatric Medicine, housed within the Dept. of Family and Community Medicine, is under the directorship of Dr. Christine Arenson. In collaboration with CARAH, the Dept. of Occupational Therapy and the Dept. of Nursing, the Division has received funding for a Geriatric Education Center. In addition to Drs. Arenson and Gitlin, participants in this initiative include Dr. Cecelia Borden (Dept. of Nursing), Stephen Kern (Dept. of Occupational Therapy), Nancy …

2005 Dementia Conference Attracts Record Turn Out

CenterPieces

The 6th annual Dementia Management Conference - "New Directions in Providing Care to Patients and their Families" - was held on February 4, 2005 in the Bluemle Auditorium. This successful conference was co-sponsored by the Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the Farber Institute for Neurosciences. In attendance were over 115 health care professionals, including physicians, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, social workers, researchers, and family members.

Attendees had the opportunity to learn from and ask questions of a panel of nationally recognized experts in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. …

Message From Dean Erdman, James B. Erdman

CenterPieces

Congratulations to the Center and its Director, Dr. Laura Gitlin, on the inaugural issue of CARAH’s newsletter. In our discussions of the development of CARAH, one of the principal goals of the Center is its educational mission as is clear from the other information contained in this publication. Committed as the Center’s research professionals are to improving the health and quality of life of our seniors, it is not enough to conduct research that has the potential to provide significant help and support for patients and their caregivers. Those findings must also be disseminated, must be translated into action, must …

Graduating "Seniors" Of Center In The Park's Harvest Health Program

CenterPieces

"I have been to many health classes but none like this. This class was great and well organized."

"When I wake up I start exercising in bed. The Harvest Health classes have motivated me. I am now exercising 6 days a week."

"I use a motorized wheelchair, and I walk only a few steps. Thanks to the support from my classmates and the instructors, I achieved my action plan and am now walking in the corridor at Center in the Park. The program has motivated me to achieve my goals."

These are the accolades that Project Director Delores Palmer hears …

Message From Dr. Laura Gitlin, Director Of Carah, Laura N. Gitlin

CenterPieces

Welcome to the first issue of CenterPieces, the newsletter of the Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health.

Aging is a highly personal phenomenon. It obviously affects each of us on an individual, familia, and socio-political-economic level. Only a short 50 years ago, aging was viewed as a disease rather than a natural and important stage of human development. Although older people are at increased risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke, falls and cognitive impairments, more so than any other age group, new scientific breakthroughs show that frailty and physical and cognitive decline is a complex phenomenon and not …

Health And Needs Assessment Of Geriatric Patients: Results Of A Survey At A Teaching Hospital In Karachi, Syed Nabeel Zafar, Hammad Ashraf Ganatra, Sarah Tehseen, Waris Qidwai

Department of Family Medicine

Objective: To study the health and needs of geriatric patients

Methods: A questionnaire based survey of patients visiting the out-patient department of Aga Khan University was carried out. Ethical requirements were met and included administration of informed consent and provision of confidentiality to patients. Convenience sampling was used without any randomization for interviews. Epi-info and SPSS software were used for data management.

Results: Four hundred and two (402) subjects above the age of 65 were surveyed. Most of the subjects were retired (40.5%) married (76.4%) men (69.7%). Ages ranged from 65 to 90 years, the mean being 70.57 years and …

Conference Brochure: 7th Annual Demential Management Conference

Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Conferences

No abstract provided.

The Geriatric Residency Experience, Sabrina Camilo, Tamara Gravano, Karen Lagares, Gemma Longfellow

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

The Geriatric Residency in Physical Therapy program at St. Catherine's Rehabilitation Hospital and Villa Maria Nursing Center has graduated 4 residents since its inception in 2003. Recently, the 4 of us program graduates convened to talk about our experiences and discovered several similarities. We laearned about our individual reasons for choosing the residency, our experiences during the time we were residents, and our plans for continued professional development. But, of course, there were some differences that made the experience unique for each of us.

Update - June 2006, Loma Linda University Center For Christian Bioethics

Update

In this issue:

-- Provonsha on Religion and Bioethics
-- Editorial
-- The Urgency Dilemma: Is Life Extension Research a Temptation or a Test?
-- 2006 Biomedical and Clinical Ethics Master's Degree Graduates
-- Changes for the Center's Bioethics Grand Rounds
-- 2006-2007 Health and Faith Forum

The Effects Of Music On Art Making With Older Adults, Gertrude W. Goodwin

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

It is projected that by 2030, older adults will make up 69.4 million of the population in the United States (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2001). The basic physical, mental, and emotional needs of these older adults must be addressed to ensure an adequate quality of life. Quality of life refers to the degree needs are being met as well as the person’s perception and satisfaction with life. As the population ages there is an increased expectation for a higher quality of life because older adults are healthier, more active, and living longer. The therapeutic use of art and music …

Art Therapy And Sensory Stimulation To Decrease Agitation: A Pilot Study, Leslie Cristen Lavergne

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Dementia affects 1% of older adults in America between the ages of 65 and 74 years, and increases to 10% in those 85 years and older. The cognitive and behavioral symptoms of dementia may restrict an individuals ability to perform activities of daily living, such as self-care, memory, and language. The literature supports the premise that individuals who have dementia can benefit from a treatment approach that focuses on medication regulation, as well as mental stimulation. This study was an art therapy and sensory stimulation intervention designed to reduce agitation, a common non-cognitive symptom of dementia. This study included five …

The Shepherd’S Center Of Richmond: Opportunities For Meaning And Personal Growth Through Service, Linda Frank

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To inform Virginians about The Shepherd’s Center of Richmond, a non-profit service organization by, with, and for older adults.

2. To demonstrate the impact of volunteer service as a means to finding a sense of meaning and purpose in later life.

Parish Nursing: A Vital Piece To The Puzzle Of Care For Older Adults, Donna B. Coffman

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To generate awareness of the emerging practice of faith community/parish nursing and its implications for the overall improvement of health care.

2. To explore specific ways parish nursing can help meet the holistic health needs of older adults in local congregations

Elderfriends: Relieving Loneliness Among Elders, Kiersten Seeger Ware, Sarah Coble

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To discuss social isolation among older adults.

2. To promote awareness of the ElderFriends program, an intervention newly established in greater Richmond

3. To seek friendly visitors for the ElderFriends program.

Brain Health: Mending The Mind After Age 50, Susan Hardwicke

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Increase understanding of brain function and its potential to improve with age.

2. Describe an application of neuroscience, cognitive training, and nutrition for solving a problem associated with aging.

3. Evaluate neural plasticity with aging.

Engendering Student Empathy For Disabled Clients With Urinary Incontinence Through Experiential Learning, Karen A. Karlowicz, Kay L. Palmer

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

As part of a rehabilitation clinical course for senior baccalaureate nursing students, a disability-incontinence experiential learning activity is required. The assignment is intended to familiarize students with some of the challenges encountered by a client with mobility problems, including continence management issues using disposable undergarments. Wearing the undergarments dry and wet while being confined to a wheelchair provides insight and promotes empathy for patients with bladder control problems.

Factorial Validity Of The Team Skills Scale As Used For Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training (Gitt), Myra G. Owens

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To examine the factorial validity of the Team Skills Scale (TSS). The TSS is a 17-item scale developed by Hepburn, Tsukuda, and Fasser (1996). The Scale is purported to assess self-perceived team skills.Data Source: Data for this study were provided by The New York University Geriatric Interdisciplinary Team Training (GITT) Resource Center and were collected as part of the evaluation of the GITT program. The data were collected between January 1997 and June 2000.Study Design: This quasi-experiential study was focused on the trainee (N=1,715) as the unit of analysis. The Model of Individual-Level Team Competencies (Model of I-LTC) served …

Relationship Between Functional Level And Cost Of Care Of Nursing Home Residents As Measured By The Functional Component Of The Minimum Data Set And The Breines Functional Assessment Scale, Jeanne Turnamian

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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